Bastards
by Keira Mariano
Summary: Maria Fernanda Lopez reached a point in her life where she knew enough was enough. She'd had her encounters with the weird and supernatural, now she wanted her shot at a normal life. But it seemed as though the Universe was refusing to let that happen. It seemed no matter where she went, strange things seemed to show up.
1. Chapter 1

_Don't let the bastards get you down, oh no_  
 _Don't let the assholes wear you out_  
 _Don't let the mean girls take the crown_  
 _Don't let the scumbags screw you 'round_  
 _Don't let the bastards take you down_

-Bastards; **from Kesha**

* * *

There are a lot of things in Maria's life she'd like to forget. When she was nine, she wanted forget the toll her parents' divorce took on her and her brother. At thirteen, she would've given _any_ thing to forget about her brother's suicide. At sixteen, Maria would've done anything in her power to forget the abuse her stepfather enacted on her and her mother. But she _couldn't_ forget those moments. By remembering them, Maria knew she could be stronger. She could use the sadness, the helplessness and the anger, to make herself into a better, _stronger_ version of herself. That was the plan. That was the promise she made herself. That promise changed drastically when she turned twenty-five.

Maria remembered, at twenty-five, being in a very bad spot. She'd been laid off from her job, she was behind on bills and rent, her boyfriend left her. . .nothing was going right. Her world felt like it was imploding, and nothing she did was making a difference. Until she was approached by a well-dressed man. This man offered her the "opportunity of a lifetime". All she had to do was sign some paperwork and leave with him. Maria would get paid, of course, but that would be _after_ ward.

"What exactly would I be signing up for?" Maria had asked.

"That's confidential," was his answer. "But, if you want to know more, all you have to do is sign this paperwork. Then you'll come with us and everything will make sense."

It was weird, but Maria felt as though she had nothing left to lose.

So she signed the paper.

 ***:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: ***

An old looking factory. That was what the outside looked like. An old, abandoned factory. But on the inside. . .it was something else entirely. There was strange medical equipment, the walls and floors were so white it was almost blinding. Some of the open areas were designed to look like hospital rooms. Almost, at least. It was weird. Maria couldn't make heads or tails of it. The whole factory smelled of cleaning fluids, the lights let out a dull buzzing sound, and the beeping and whirring of the machinery made Maria's head hurt. She couldn't stand it. Not one bit.

"I hope you understand how important your contribution is to our study." An older man was circling around Maria, his beady, piercing eyes studying her closely. He had her change into a hospital gown, her clothes folded neatly in the corner of the small room she was in. In reality, Maria felt extremely exposed. She didn't know exactly what she was going to be doing, and that made her worry. The paperwork she had to sign didn't explain much, even when she read it over a couple more times, she couldn't find any clues as to what she'd be doing.

"And what is that exactly?" Maria asked. "I haven't really been told what I'll be participating in."

"What you'll be participating in is a very exclusive trial," the beady-eyed man stated. "You will be exposed to a very rare _experiment_ of ours. If your body accepts it, you'll be paid in full. If your body _rejects_ it, then you will not receive your money."

"What're the side effects if my body rejects it?"

"Organ failure if it's severe enough. Fever and difficulty breathing if it's somewhat minor."

That made Maria sick to her stomach. Organ failure? If she continued with the procedure, she'd risk having _organ_ _failure_? How was that, _at_ _all_ , safe? Even if Maria felt she had nothing else to lose, the thought of potentially _dying_ because of some unknown procedure wasn't worth it.

But when it came to the subject of money. . .

At that point, she felt like she couldn't refuse.

Maria _had_ to continue with what she signed up for. There was no turning back. No matter how weird and uncertain the whole thing was, no matter that it was being held in some _factory_ , Maria had to go through with it. She owed herself that much.

"Do you want to proceed?" The beady-eyed man looked like he was trying to hold back a smirk. That made Maria feel even more sick. Was he hiding more information from her?

"Uh. . .yeah." Crossing her arms over her chest, Maria gave a hesitant nod. "I guess."

"Follow me, then."

Maria swallowed thickly and did just that. She followed the man out into a hallway, where she was led to an elevator. It looked a bit old, maybe even poorly put together, but it was better to not say anything.

When the beady-eyed man pressed the "down" button, Maria felt her heart hammer in her chest. What would she find on the lower level? How was there even _a_ lower level? The factory itself didn't look like it was capable of holding more than one floor. So that had Maria wondering how long it's been occupied from the inside.

A "ding" from the elevator caused Maria to snap from her thoughts. She saw the dingy doors open and show a small inside. She and the man had to squeeze in just to fit. He had to really reach over to press one of the buttons, which had Maria feel even _more_ uncomfortable. She just wanted it to be over with. She wanted to survive the procedure and get _paid_. That's all that mattered to her.

 _Try and stay calm, okay?_ she thought. _You'll be fine as long as you stay calm._

It was easy to think that way, right? To try and convince the body to stop panicking, to be as cool and collected as physically possible? But it wasn't easy to actually follow through with something like that. Maria wanted to show that she was above fear, that she was above uncertainty and anxiety. She didn't want the workers to think she was _weak_. She'd undergone worse in her life. She was drowning in dept and all the emotional turmoil from her childhood; some secret testing facility wasn't going to be anything different. Maria would leave unharmed, unaffected by any organ failures or other problems.

Sadly, the elevator ride itself felt like it went on for an eternity. The closeness Maria felt to the other man made her skin crawl and her throat dry up. The air was stale and _hot_. Why did Maria think listening to those men and signing those papers was a good idea? So far, it felt like a damn _nightmare_.

When the fuzzy ding of the elevator rang out, indicating the arrival at the destination, Maria couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief. The doors opened and revealed a somewhat poorly lit hallway. It was at that moment Maria's heart dropped and her chest tightened.

What in the _hell_ did she get herself into?

 ***:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: ***

Maria wasn't sure which she hated more; the hallway, or the anticipation. Her blood was rushing to her ears, her heart hammering so hard against her ribs it made her chest ache. She could only imagine the kinds of things she'd witness, the kinds of things she'd _experience_. But Maria had to make a promise to keep herself in check. She couldn't afford to lose her cool, not yet. She could save that for later.

"I can't say how much it pleases me to know that you're willing to give this a try." The beady-eyed man walked a bit in front of Maria, his hands folded behind his back. He didn't attempt to look back at Maria as he spoke, which made her feel an even bigger wave of emotions. "We've been rather unlucky in subjects lately. This will be very helpful for us."

"I'm glad I can help," Maria stated, hoping to keep her voice steady.

"Your service for our cause will certainly help give us the data we'll need to move forward." The chilling tone in his voice didn't go unnoticed. In fact, it sounded like he was making no attempt at hiding it.

"Hopefully it all turns out well."

"Yes, I hope so, too."

The rest of the walk went on in silence. Maria tried to find a way to distract herself, to keep her mind off of everything that was happening. There were a lot of things she didn't quite understand, and she wasn't entirely sure what to make of that.

 _Just. . .focus on other things, okay? Try not to worry about this guy, or this place, just keep yourself calm and look around. Familiarize yourself._

It wasn't a bad idea. Not at all. If Maria could get a good idea on the layout of the facility, then she'd be able to have an easier escape if necessary. Of course, her body would have to accept the procedure first. She couldn't attempt any escapes if her body was failing. So Maria chose to look at everything around her. She saw that the entire hallway was made of concrete. It was a bit chilly down there, but Maria had to wonder if it was because of her own discomfort that she was feeling a bit chilled.

There were a few doors here and there, but no windows or way to peer in the other side. On top of that, it was oddly quiet on the lower level. Far too quiet compared to how the upper level was.

"You will be in this room right here." The man motioned to a large metal door near the end of the hall. There was a keypad off to the side, where he quickly typed in a code and opened the door.

Furrowing her brows, Maria took a second to look around before stepping in. She really couldn't believe what she was seeing. The room was large, with a big glass window off to the far side of the room. In the center of the room, on some kind of foundation, was a glass and metal container. It didn't look natural at all. The light that shone in the room reflected oddly on the container, which had Maria's skin crawl.

"Ma'am," the beady-eyed man said. "Are you okay?"

"I. . .uh. . .yeah," she said. "I'm fine."

"Well, then you should probably go in."

Hesitantly stepping in, Maria took her time, wanting to take in every bit of the room. When she was far enough inside, the door came to a heavy close behind her, causing Maria to jump. The sound of the lock clicking into place sent her heart racing.

 _"Ms. Lopez, listen very carefully."_ A man's voice, thick with a German accent, came over a speaker, causing Maria to gasp. She frantically looked around, her eyes very briefly catching the speaker before going to the glass. She couldn't see anyone on the other end, which had her blood run cold. _"If you go to the center of the room, you'll see our specialized containment unit,"_ the voice went on.

Maria looked over at the container, swallowing thickly as she did. She couldn't imagine what was in it. She didn't _want_ to imagine what would be in it. It honestly frightened her. And despite every bit of her wanting to resist, Maria chose to walk over to the containment unit. When she peered at it, her brows furrowed and her throat closed up. From what she could see through the glass, there was some kind of _mass_ inside. The mass didn't have a definitive shape. Maria couldn't tell if it looked kind of like unnaturally colored water or some kind of gelatinous-watery combination. All she knew was that it looked unnatural and it was _moving_. As far as Maria could tell, nothing was moving the containment unit from the outside, so there was no way the thing on the inside should be moving.

 _"Very good, Ms. Lopez. Now just stand still, okay?"_

"What?" Maria turned her head, her voice trembling a little. "Why do I. . .?"

Before she could finish her question, she heard a hissing sound. Snapping her head back to the container, Maria let out a surprised yelp when she saw the thing inside start to move _outward_. It was able to move itself out of the container and onto the ground. Maria stumbled back, watching as the thing quickly made a beeline in her direction.

"What the hell is that?" she screamed. "What is that?"

 _"Ms. Lopez, please, it's best if you keep still,"_ the voice stated calmly.

Pressing herself against the nearest wall, Maria felt her heart pounding against her ribs, her breathing becoming erratic as her head started spinning. She watched that _thing_ continue to move towards her. It looked like it was extending parts of its body to grip the ground and keep itself in the right direction. When it was less than a foot away from her, before she even had the chance to move, Maria felt something grip onto her ankle. Looking down, she saw that the mass had extended itself so it could wrap around her ankle, its grip tight and unwavering. Maria tried to get it off her leg, moving her leg or even by scratching at it, but it wouldn't budge. In fact, the second her fingers came in contact, it latched onto them, too.

That was when Maria started to feel what the mass was like. Her adrenaline was still pumping strong, telling her to do whatever was necessary to get that thing off, but she was starting to pay attention to the mass's texture. It was thick, constantly moving in on itself. She wanted to say it felt oily _and_ watery at the same time, contradicting the gelatinous structure she thought it had. But whatever that thing was, it had intelligence and it knew exactly what it wanted.

"Oh God, get this thing off me," Maria whimpered. " _Please_."

The German man didn't say anything over the speaker. Which meant she was either alone or he was content to just sit back and watch.

Quickly, the mass wrapped its entirety around Maria's hands and wrists. The grip it had on her was so strong, she could barely move her fingers a millimeter. Moving upwards, the mass attached itself to Maria's chest, laying heavily on her. She could feel it seep through her hospital gown and onto her skin. It was cold for a second, causing her skin to break out into goosebumps. For a moment, the mass didn't move. It just laid on her chest for a moment, as if testing the new surface. After a minute, it extended itself outward, narrowing a little as it came close to Maria's face. It gently touched her bottom lip before retreating back to its original form. Not even a second later, Maria felt it seep into her skin.

That was probably the most horrifying feeling ever. The coldness she felt from it seemed to get absorbed into every _fiber_ of her chest, before quickly spreading throughout her body. But just as quickly as the coldness appeared, it disappeared. Instead, Maria felt a whole new wave of sensations. She went from feeling hot to cold, from dizzy to nauseous — it was the strangest thing she'd ever endured. It felt like her skin was becoming too sensitive, the light were too bright, the overwhelming silence was too loud, the air was too disgusting. Nothing felt right. Breathing became difficult, her head was spinning, her muscles started to feel a bit weak.

"I don't. . .," she rasped. "What did you do to me?"

She blacked out after that.

 ***:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: ***

"How are her vitals?"

"Stable, sir."

"And the Symbiote?"

"It seems to be adjusting well."

"How long should we keep her here for?"

"Until we have finished our tests. We can't risk losing the host _or_ the Symbiote."

"Of course, sir."

"I should send the report back in to Mr. Pierce. Keep a close eye on her, tell me if anything changes."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **First off, I'd like to apologize for how long it took to get this chapter up. I know it may seem a bit sloppy, but I thought it would turn out better in my head. Isn't that how it usually goes, though?**

 **Anywho, I saw the movie 'Venom' recently, so I got mad inspired to write a kind of MCU/'Venom'-ish kind of story. And by 'Venom'-ish, I mean there are going to be Symbiotes in the story. Not actual Venom.**

 **So, I know that Symbiotes aren't necessarily in the main Marvel movies (i.e. 'Iron Man', 'Captain America', etc.), but I thought it'd be a good idea to at least try it out. I don't know how this story will turn out, but hopefully it's somewhat decent.**

 **Nothing in the MCU, or Sony, since I think Sony still owns the rights to the 'Venom'/Symbiote franchise, belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the laptop I'm typing on. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**

 **Also, how many of you have heard about the whole Mark Ruffalo getting "fired" by the Russo brothers? Apparently, it happened when he "revealed" the title for Avengers 4 on Jimmy Kimmel. But the whole thing was censored out, so who knows? I doubt he's been fired, since I think his contract with Marvel is already up. But I'm also curious on what the title is for the new movie. I've heard it's 'Avengers: End Game', 'Avengers: Annihilation', 'Avengers: Disassembled' — and those were just a few I've seen floating around the internet. But from what I can tell, 'Annihilation' seems to be the possible title, according to a lot of people. I don't know. What do you guys think?**

 **And one final thing before I wrap this up, word is going around that Avengers 4 is taking place 5 years after 'Infinity War'. That seems crazy to me, but I guess it could make sense in a way. If it does take place 5 years after the snap, then it could show everyone who fought (and survived) against Thanos dealing with the aftermath of what happened and the people they lost. If you've got any thoughts on the time skip or on Avengers 4's title, then leave a review. Only if you want.**

 **Be sure to leave a random fact, too, if you want. It could be new or old; it's up to you guys.**

 **Thanks, guys!**

 **Keira Mariano**


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in_  
 _I'll never meet the ground_  
 _Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us_  
 _We're far from the shallow now_

-Shallow; **by Lady Gaga + Bradley Cooper**

* * *

What was so special about fear? What made it so powerful? How could it be so easily manipulated in order to bring about control? Questions like that were important. Honest to God, they were. That was something HYDRA found to be particularly fascinating, those questions on fear. For _decades_ , the organization built itself on the manipulation of fear. They helped fund terrorist groups, they helped orchestrate major cataclysmic events. HYDRA was there to light the fuse. Now all they had to do was wait. The fact was, humans couldn't be trusted with their own freedom. They always found ways to screw it up, so someone had to step in and make it right. It didn't matter _how_ it was being done, only that someone had to have the balls to step up and do something about it.

At the moment, Alexander Pierce was that guy.

He had this whole plan laid out, one that would supposedly "change the entirety of mankind forever". HYDRA knew better than to go against his word.

The Winter Soldier had been a valuable tool in Pierce's crusade to better the world. But he wanted something else, something _more_. That's where the Symbiotes came in. They were, of course, extraterrestrial. Amorphous, capable of doing extraordinary things. But they couldn't survive in Earth's atmosphere; they needed a host in order to live. It took a lot of underground meetings and pulled strings — not to mention a few pretty pennies thrown here and there — in order to get a few Symbiotes transferred into HYDRA's facilities. Pierce kept a lot of the more important information to himself, wanting to wait until a successful test subject came through before enacting his vision.

Then _she_ came along. Maria Fernanda Lopez. Twenty-five years old, the child of Dominican and Cuban immigrants. She'd had her fair share of ups and downs in life, which was why Pierce thought she'd be a perfect subject. She could be easily convinced. She needed some kind of reassurance that things would be better for her. All she had to do was trust HYDRA. Even if she didn't know who they were.

In the days that followed her fusion with the Symbiote, she had shown remarkable progress. Sure, there were little setbacks here and there, but she was doing just fine. The _Symbiote_ was doing fine, more importantly. If Maria died at any point, she could be replaced quite easily. There were millions, if not _billions_ , of people who were a bit down on their luck. Certainly they'd be more than willing to help contribute to such a noble cause.

"How are her vitals doing?"

"S-She's stable for now." Swallowing thickly, a HYDRA grunt couldn't help but look up quickly before looking back at his screen. Alexander Pierce chose to come down to check on Maria's progress. He was intrigued by her ability to maintain such a good hold on the Symbiote.

"Her readings show some minor damage to her liver and heart," Pierce stated, looking over the grunt's shoulder.

"The Symbiote is hungry. It's just a hypothesis right now, but. . ."

"A hypothesis?" Pierce's gaze snapped to the grunt. "For the most part, Ms. Lopez has shown remarkable compatibility with our subject. I want to know why it's causing damage to her liver and heart."

"O-Of course, sir."

"Who's the doctor in charge here?"

"That would be me, Mr. Pierce." Standing behind the two men was Isaac Von Brandt, a man in his mid- to late-thirties. A German accent laced his words, his auburn hair slicked back and his green eyes piercing and unwavering.

Turning to look at Isaac, Pierce nodded his head. "Right, well, what can you tell me about how the Symbiote acts in Ms. Lopez's body," he said.

"It is trying to adjust to its new environment," Isaac stated, coming up to look at Maria's readings. "The Symbiote is working out the kinks, looking to see how compatible its new host is."

"And the damage to her liver and heart?" Pierce asked.

"Sometimes minor damage to organs is to be expected." Isaac waved the question off. "If the host was not compatible, then the Symbiote would have killed her sooner. The only problem is if the host dies, so does the Symbiote, regardless of whether or not they work."

Nodding, Pierce's gaze flickered between Isaac and the grunt. He knew that the grunts typically didn't have a lot of experience when it came to certain matters, but he knew that the one watching over Maria was in no way useful. If he couldn't tell the difference between the Symbiote being hungry or how Maria's body was reacting to the fusion, then maybe he should be stationed somewhere else. Maybe.

 ***:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: ***

Maria felt as though she was dreaming. Her body felt heavy and light at the same time. Her chest ached and her stomach hurt. She was sweating profusely, but was always cold. She was tired but couldn't sleep, and she was so _hungry_. God, Maria felt as though she'd throw up if she didn't get anything to eat.

Ever since that _thing_ went into her body, everything felt so off. She couldn't tell what was real and what was fake. Her body felt as though it was transforming before her eyes, but she couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. Maria's brain felt like it had been stuffed to the brim with cotton balls, and her breathing sounded as loud as a train. Her eyes wouldn't focus on anything and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't close her mouth.

 ** _"You look idiotic like that."_**

Letting out a small whimper, Maria's eyes slowly looked around, as if that would help her pinpoint where the voice came from. Since her eyes refused to focus, she couldn't actually tell what she was looking for. She couldn't _see_ what she was looking for.

 ** _"Your body is more suitable than I imagined. But you won't survive this place if you stay."_**

Feeling her fingers twitch, Maria had to wonder where the voice was coming from. It sounded like it came from inside her head, but it also sounded like it was all around her. On top of that, the voice itself sounded kind of distorted — low and gravelly, with a hint of a growl, but also inhuman in nature. Maria wanted to believe there was an accent behind the words, one she couldn't quite put her finger on, but she didn't know.

 ** _"How sad, knowing you may die in a place like this."_** An evil chuckle reverberated around Maria, making her feel uneasy. **_"You had the potential of being a good host. What a pity."_**

Closing her eyes, Maria tried to come up with a comprehensible thought. She had to figure out what was going on with her. Was she going to die? Was the voice just a hallucination? What was that thing that entered her body? Did the procedure work or fail? Those questions lazily formed in Maria's mind, causing her to let out a shaky breath.

 ** _"You won't die, I assure you,"_** the voice hissed. **_"As amusing as it would be to watch, I can't say I'd want to die with you."_**

"Leave me alone," Maria rasped. Her voice couldn't seem to go above a hoarse whisper. Her words were slurred and her throat burned from being used.

 ** _"Impossible."_**

Opening her eyes, Maria was met with the same blurriness as before. Her gaze hadn't adjusted at all. But then again, she supposed it wouldn't have mattered anyway. She felt as though she were dying, and she was hallucinating some monstrous voice telling her she'd live. What else could possibly happen?

 ** _"You and I can create quite a bit of havoc,"_** the voice purred. **_"All you'd have to do is get off your lazy ass and do something."_**

". . .No."

 ** _"Why not?"_**

"Not. . .strong enough. . ."

 ** _"Then let me give you my strength."_**

 _"Give me?"_ Maria thought.

In no time at all, her body was being encompassed in that familiar coldness. It worked its way from inside her body all the way out, surrounding her, morphing itself around her. In just a matter of seconds, everything about Maria's body was completely different.

And her emotions were overwhelmed with an intense feeling of wrath.

 ***:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: ***

It was nice, to be able to use the host's body for _some_ thing. Being confined to that damned metal slab was tiring. Having to sit by as the host turned herself into a damned vegetable was _annoying_. Who knew Maria Lopez was so useless? Wrath was certain that she was good for _some_ thing. After all, the human had endured quite a bit of pain in her life, so having a Symbiote inhabit her body shouldn't be asking for much.

But having the opportunity to come out, to encompass Maria's body and unleash those pent up emotions would be amazing. Because if there's one thing Wrath is known for, it's being overly-emotional. Especially in the anger department. So laying a little havoc to the other humans should be fun. Destroying the damned compound that kept Wrath trapped would be fun. Killing the humans that wanted to keep it prisoner would be even better. After all, so many of Wrath's companions had been killed thanks to those humans. The hosts provided to its companions weren't compatible. It was the last living Symbiote in the compound. So as Wrath wrapped itself around Maria's body, it felt a sense of empowerment. It would be able to enact all the anger and hatred it felt for those men and women. It would be able to freeing, being able to kill them all with its — Maria's? — hands.

Once Wrath completely covered Maria's body, it let out a deep chuckle. Its white eyes studied its surroundings, taking in every little detail. The white ceiling and walls. The stink of cleaning chemicals and humans. Wrath's tongue — long and pointed at the end — came out as it laughed again. Its rows of sharp teeth extended outward just a bit. Ripping the IVs and monitors out, Wrath sat itself up and looked down. Its form wrapped comfortably around Maria's. It silhouetted her feminine features, but had a steadiness about it, as well. A steadiness that would be helpful in taking down those humans.

 _"What're you doing?"_ Maria asked, her voice trembling. _"What are you doing to me?"_

Standing up, Wrath let out a low grumble. **"I plan on using your body to survive,"** it responded. **"Your planet isn't suitable for me or my kind. But in order for my to _survive_ , I — _we_ — must leave this place."**

 _"Wait. . .why do you need_ my _body?"_ Maria exclaimed. _"Why can't you find someone else's?"_

Walking over to the glass, Wrath lifted up one of its arms, watching as its hand transformed into a scythe. **"Were you listening?"** Wrath exclaimed. **"I can't survive on this planet. I need a living host, one that I'm compatible with. So far, yours is doing just fine."**

 _"Do I get a say in this, at least?"_

 **"You had that option, didn't you? You could've refused at any time."**

Moving its weaponized arm back, Wrath let out a dark chuckle, its eyes narrowing a little. With a single swing, the scythed end of the Symbiote's arm crashed through the glass, cracking it and breaking off a few shards. Not even a second later, sirens went off. The frequency of them was enough to cause Wrath to let out a pained hiss, for its form to feel as though it was on the brink of deteriorating. But that couldn't be an option. That _wasn't_ an option. Yanking its arm out, Wrath swung its arm around and broke whatever remained.

 _"They're going to kill you_ and _me, you realize that, right?"_ Maria exclaimed.

 **"Don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing."**

 ***:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: ***

To say Maria knew what was going on would be an understatement. Everything seemed to go spiraling out of control after that thing went inside her body, but now _she_ was inside the very creature that invaded her. Not only that, but it was communicating with her. What were the odds of anything like that happening? What were the odds of any of it being _real_? Maria couldn't stand the thought of not knowing. She felt as though she were hallucinating, but it all felt so real. The sounds, the feelings — how could she rationalize anything like that? How could _any_ one rationalize something like that?

Her body was completely encompassed by the mass that invaded her. It felt strange, like nothing Maria ever felt before. Unlike before, where she felt as though she were being drained of life, being on the _in_ side of such a creature made her _feel_ alive. It didn't make an ounce of sense. But the creature. . .it said that it needed Maria's body in order to survive. That it "couldn't live on this planet", as if it wasn't _from_ Earth. In Maria's mind, aliens, extraterrestrials, whatever you want to call it, they didn't exist.

They couldn't.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I was having a bit of writer's block when I made this. But, hopefully, it'll be somewhat decent for you guys. Just let me know what you think, okay? Constructive criticism is important in my eyes.**

 **Nothing in the MCU belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the socks on my feet. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**

 **If you've got any random facts you'd like to leave a review on, be sure to do so. It could be on something new or on something old, doesn't matter to me.**

 **Thanks, guys.**

 **Keira Mariano**


	3. Chapter 3

_Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time_  
 _I'm having a ball_  
 _Don't stop me now_  
 _If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call_  
 _Don't stop me now ('cause I'm having a good time)_  
 _Don't stop me now (yes, I'm havin' a good time)_  
 _I don't want to stop at all_

-Don't Stop Me Now; **by Queen**

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **First off, I'd like to apologize for the amount of time you guys had to wait for this chapter. I had an idea on what I wanted to write, but then I got really bad writer's block. In my head, I thought it'd be a good idea to step away from this story for a little bit until my writer's block lifted, but then all this time went by and I forgot about the unfinished chapter. I'm sorry, hopefully you guys can forgive me. As for the writer's block, it's still there in a sense, but not as bad as before. I think for now I'll just take a break from this story until I can figure out what I'm doing and why I'm having such an issue with getting the words out. Hopefully you guys understand.**

 **Nothing in the MCU belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the bamboo plants in my room. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**

 **As for your review, Aferus, I had no idea someone created a fan-made Symbiote named Wrath. I honestly made my OC up as I was writing the first few chapters. I'm hoping the creator of their Symbiote doesn't mind that I created my own with the same name. But I'd like to thank you for pointing that out to me and going into detail over the subject. And I think I drew on so many things from Venom was because the movie really inspired me. I think it'd be awesome if Symbiotes made it into the mainstream MCU movies, but I don't entirely know if that'll happen. Hopefully I can hear from you again, my friend, and thank you for your reviews.***

 **You can leave a random fact in the reviews if you want. It can be on something old or on something new; it's up to you guys, honestly.**

 **Thanks, guys!**

 **Keira Mariano**


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